In the mid-1990s various businesses began to offer gift cards as wallet-sized cards similar in shape and size to credit or debit cards. Gift cards often employ a magnetic strip and typically have no value prior to activation, which occurs for example at the point of sale. Retailers often display gift cards at a point of sale, such as at a store counter, for customers to obtain while checking out.
Gift cards have become very popular and are often chosen over traditional gift items by customers. Businesses have adopted a variety of innovative designs for gift cards. In this regard, the appearance of gift cards has become more complex as additional retailers have entered the gift card market, with retailers applying various designs and logos, particularly to the front of the cards. Because gift cards are quite popular and numerous varieties exist, businesses continue attempts to make gift cards more attractive to customers.